A few months ago, not many would have believed that Nolan Patrick would now be the Philadelphia Flyers’ second line center in the midst of a playoff race. Patrick, the Flyers’ 19-year-old rookie who was drafted with the second-overall pick last year, didn’t start his first NHL season the way many fans would have liked. In Patrick’s first 40 games as a member of the Flyers, he had just nine points and was hitting the ice an average of 12 minutes and 14 seconds a night.

Before Christmas, Patrick himself acknowledged that he “didn’t deserve to be on the ice much” due to his poor play and lack of offensive production. Though the eye-test was starting to fall more in his favor, it wasn’t until a bump up to the second line at the end of January that Patrick’s offensive ability started to shine. In his first game alongside Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek on the second line, Patrick had his best performance as a Flyer with one goal...